If you're looking for a cool little holiday gift for a cool old school friend, I'm thinking this old school jigsaw puzzle might fit the bill. As in, 33 1/2 RPM old school. The Vinyl Collection Puzzle by Bob's Your Uncle is so cool for th…
Like singer Laura Veirs, Massachusetts musician Alastair Moock has had a long and successful career playing American folk music for grown ups. And similarly, both musicians started making kids' music after the birth of their children, bu…
Dad-of-two Mike Park knows a thing or two about the music biz: He was once the energetic lead in the big '90s ska/punk band Skankin' Pickle, touring with the likes of Rancid, Primus, and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. He's also the founder…
The good ol' days sort of lose their luster for me when I think about a life without indoor plumbing, internet access and Starbucks. But, I will give them one thing: Their folk songs sure were beautiful as evidenced in this lovely and pl…
My kids and I know that our lives are made even more awesome because of all the friends who join us on our adventures, something I couldn't help but think about while listening to Dan Zanes and Friends latest release. One that happens to…
Always Saturday makes me happy. While this is technically a "kids" band, the beats are appropriate for big people, too. I'm thinking of their CD as a dance party waiting to happen, and I just want to be a part. After all, any band that e…
One day the kids are happily singing along to Yo Gabba Gabba; the next, they've somehow learned lyrics to a Katy Perry song that makes me blush. Ugh, they cross that bridge so fast. I suggest you slow your older kids down a bit with The …
Did I mention that there were a lot kids' music releases this summer? If you saw Part One in our review of great kindie releases yesterday, you've read---and hopefully heard--of new stuff from Caspar Babypants, Belle & Sebastian and The …
While I was busy applying yet another layer of SPF 50 to my fair children, some of our favorite kindie musicians, and one newbie to the genre, were putting out great music to get us through the next few months. Thankfully, unlike my fadi…
Science is awesome! Who said that? Maybe DJ Lance Rock. And parents trying to convince skeptical kids. Well, now we parents have the help of mega pop star and Black Eyed Peas front man, will.i.am, of all people. He is currently using his…
This post is brought to you by our sponsor, Up All Night , the new NBC show starring some of the coolest and funniest parents on TV like Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, and Maya Rudolph. When I was pregnant with my first daughter almos…
My kids and I fell for Laurie Berkner years ago while watching her appearances on Nickelodeon's Jack's Big Music Show . Her sweetness and likability, paired with her pretty voice and super-fun songs, translated so well to the screen , sh…
Last month, cool-tee-site Threadless held a Muppet design contest to jump on the excitement many of us feel about the new Muppets movie coming out this fall. (New Muppets! Whee!) Threadless invited anyone to submit a Muppets tee-shirt de…
When my kids were younger, I used to leave the Closed Captioning up on the television so they could get familiar with the words coming out of the mouths of their favorite cartoon characters. Taking this idea one step further and more eff…
What would summer be without kids music to keep you busy on those long road trips--one we hope includes no traffic jams, dirty rest areas or too many Are we there yet' s. Before you pack up the vehicle, check out this trio of great CD's …
Ask my kids what songs make them think of their dad, and they'll rattle off a bunch of Rock Band tunes--which gives you a hint as to one of their favorite pastimes. Chances are your kids too can name some songs that make them think "dad"…
I've been looking forward to a new, full-length release by Lucky Diaz since I got a little sample of their sound on the EP Luckiest Adventure . C'mon, the band that created the infectiously fun Blue Bear ? I knew they'd be able to put to…
When the late-afternoon crankies hit all three of my kids, my quick-thinking remedy has always been to put on some fun, danceable music to give us just enough of a mood boost to make it to dinnertime. And with a new kid-friendly disco CD…
I, along with probably many of you, had never heard of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, though it it is the number one genetic killer of children--1 in 40 people unknowingly carry the SMA gene. When I read more about SMA1, the most severe form o…
I consider myself fairly tuned in to my kids' emotional health but I must confess, I don't really know what to say to an angry six-year-old in the heat of the moment other than Stop hitting that ! Which is why I'm glad some other moms ha…
If you know a child on the autistic spectrum, you know how special they are and maybe even some of their personal day-to-day struggles. It seems fitting that on World Autism Awareness Day , I let you know of this soon-to-be-released CD f…
Though "infinity sock" sounds like what I face when I'm matching up pairs in another endless load of laundry, it's actually the name of the fourth DVD/CD combo in the amazing Gustafer Yellowgold series by illustrator and songwriter Morga…
When my kids were babies, I used to daydream about sleep. Oh, sweet sleep, how I'd never take it for granted again. If only I could get two hours in a row. If only I had some magic spell to make them slumber peacefully. I still don't hav…
Along with standing and getting out of diapers, one of my favorite so-called "developmental milestones" was when my kids grabbed another's pudgy little hand and declared this person their "fwend." Capturing these moments of first love ma…